Statutory Instruments
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
Made
10th March 1988
Coming into force
1st May 1988
Whereas the Secretary of State is satisfied that it is proper, having regard to the law for the time being in force in Northern Ireland, —
(i)to provide that any weighing or measuring equipment of the classes described in Article 2 of this Order which has been duly stamped in accordance with that law or which is to be regarded as so stamped for the purposes of that law shall be treated for the purposes of the Weights and Measures Act 1985(1) as if it had been duly stamped in Great Britain under section 11 of that Act; and
(ii)to designate Northern Ireland for the purposes of the provisions of that Act mentioned in Article 3 of this Order:
Now, therefore, the Secretary of State, in pursuance of the powers conferred upon him by sections 11(16) and 94(2) of that Act and all other powers enabling him in that behalf, hereby makes the following Order:
1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Weights and Measures (Northern Ireland) Order 1988 and shall come into force on 1st May 1988.
(2) In this Order, “the Act” means the Weights and Measures Act 1985.
(3) The Weights and Measures (Northern Ireland) Order 1969(2) is hereby revoked.
2. Weighing or measuring equipment of any class prescribed under section 11 of the Act shall be treated for the purposes of the Act as duly stamped in Great Britain under that section if —
(i)it has been duly stamped under the Weights and Measures Act (Northern Ireland) Order 1981(3); or
(ii)falls to be treated for the purposes of that Order as so stamped.
3. Northern Ireland shall be a designated country for the purposes of sections 7(3), 24(2)(b) and 33(1)(d) of the Act.
John Butcher
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State,
Department of Trade and Industry
10th March 1988
(This note is not part of the Order)
The Weights and Measures Act 1985 does not generally extend to Northern Ireland which has its own weights and measures legislation.
A number of the provisions of the 1985 Act relating to the regulation of trade and weighing or measuring equipment used for trade do not apply in relation to goods “for despatch to a destination outside Great Britain and any designated country”.
This Order replaces the Weights and Measures (Northern Ireland) Order 1969 and merely brings up to date the references to the relevant legislation. The Order continues
(a)to declare Northern Ireland to be a designated country for the purposes of these provisions and other sections of the Act which refer to designated countries; and
(b)to provide that any weighing or measuring equipment which must be stamped by an inspector of weights and measures before it can be used for trade in Great Britain is to be treated as so stamped, if it is to be treated as validly stamped under the law of Northern Ireland.